japanese prime minister shinzo abe met in berlin with german chancellor angela merkel. >> translator: we reached an agreement to urge russia to play a responsible role in the international community. >> reporter: the u.s. and european union have been trying to pressure putin by broadening sanctions against senior russian officials and companies. >> the european borders cannot, will not be changed through political intimidation or military force. and we have to be resolute in imposing cost. >> reporter: russian leaders have denied they're behind the turmoil. and they've criticized the sanctions. they say they won't retaliate, yet. foreign minister sergei lavrov says they want to give others the opportunity to calm down. but things seem far from calm on the ground in eastern ukraine. as the separatists expand their reach. government troops stay well away, manning checkpoints on the outskirts of the occupied region. to make matters worse, ukraine is deeply in debt. the international monetary fund has thrown it a $17 billion lifeline. >> we are trying to improve the situation so that the